December 30, 1999
The National Latino Media Council (NLMC) has requested that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) hold public hearings on the growing competition and concentration of ownership in the broadcasting industry. Council members attest that the concentration of ownership has seriously affected the quality of services provided to the public, has limited opportunities for ownership, impacted diversity in employment and programming and has resulted in defective managerial oversight. In their letter to William Kennard, Chairman of the FCC, the NLMC affirmed that Latinos are particularly at risk because they rely heavily on radio and television as their main source of information.
The Council contends that industry mergers have impeded opportunities for minority groups to compete with new conglomerates. Minority broadcast ownership has begun to decline and no new entrant competition is possible in over the air television. Furthermore, the Commission's recent decision that will allow commercial television duopolies threatens to reduce by half the number of minority owned television stations in the next few years. The FCC decision potentially cancels out the benefits of the $175 million Prism Fund for minority ownership recently announced by sixteen major broadcasters to assist minority entrepreneurs. Since 1996, the public has lost approximately one-third of the nation's broadcasters, small locally owned stations have virtually become an "endangered species."
In its letter to FCC Commissioner Kennard, the Council also challenges the FCC to examine the indus-try's lack of diversity and the major network's dismal employment practices. These discriminatory practices lead to the kind of blunder committed by insensitive programming executives that excluded minorities in the 26 new series this Fall, causing waves of protests throughout the country.
In addition, the Council states, managerial oversight is lacking especially on talk radios where out of control hosts regularly violate FCC rules and regulations. Bigotry, indecent language and programming are the order of the day for far too many broadcasters. The Council cites incidents in the Howard Stern and the Don and Mike Show's, both on Infinity Broadcasting, of which CBS Inc., is the parent company, as samples of the neglected, and inattention to managerial matters. The Don and Mike Show's irresponsible behavior towards El Cenozoic City Commissioner Flora Barton caused the outrage of the Latino community. The incident prompted the Council to file a formal complaint against the nationally syndicated radio program. Council members question if a different behavior can be expected from a CBS/Viacom Company merger.
With the frenzy of mergers pending the Commission needs to conduct hearings on broadcast competition, concentration, managerial oversight and its effect on the consumer. The National Latino Media Council's request for FCC hearings were made by the group's Chairperson, former Congressman Esteban Torres.
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